When Jim Shi first tweeted a photo of Valentino’s lace espadrilles from the ss12 runway, I thought it was tres decadent. I mean really, who buys lace espadrilles? I thought they were just for the show but how wrong I was. Not only have they gone into production, you can buy them here and watch the making-of video. Enjoy…

I watched Gus Berger’s excellent documentary, Duke Vin and the Birth of Ska down at Rootikal on Friday night. A 45-minute history lesson on the origins of ska, it has fantastic footage of the early blues and ska parties in the UK plus sound bites from Duke Vin, Don Letts and Jerry Dammers. Recommended…

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I saw a preview of Bill Cunningham New York and loved it. I put it in the same bracket as Vidal Sassoon The Movie and Diana Vreeland The Eye Has To Travel (which will hopefully be released at the end of this year); all three films are sensitive portrayals of passionate creatives who have led fascinating lives with grace and charm.

The film is now on general release in the UK and Ireland. You can see screening dates and times here.

Tom Munro has shot a lush editorial for Vanity Fair featuring Andrea Riseborough and James D’Arcy as Wallis and Edward Simpson. As promised, the costumes are stunning. Madonna hired her longtime stylist and celebrated costume designer Arianne Phillips to recreate the Simpsons’ revered style for the film W.E, which looks at the couple’s relationship with modern day parallels. Continue reading →

Last week I was invited to a press preview of VIDAL SASSOON: THE MOVIEand what a cinematic treat it was. Sassoon himself tells the poignant story of his journey from a London orphanage to celebrity superstardom in LA with the help of an anecdote or two from the likes of Grace Coddington, Mary Quant, Christiaan and Guido Palau. My favourite quote came from Mary Quant: “You cut hair how we cut cloth, you cut it on the cross.”The film itself is beautifully shot (by director Craig Teper) and designed (by Steve Hiett) and the archive footage is priceless – watch out for some of the 1970s ads and the scene where Sassoon cuts Mia Farrow’s hair live on the set of Rosemary’s Baby. It’s also very human and Sassoon’s charm and passion come across in spades as does his personal style (I noticed he has a bit of a scarf thing going on). VIDAL SASSOON: THE MOVIE will be released in the UK mid-May but you can see the trailer below. Catch it if you can…

I’m so glad I went to see Bruce Weber Shorts yesterday, a lovely hour of cinematic gorgeousness and perfect for a Saturday afternoon. Alas, I had to dash off moments before the end to catch a train to Leeds for a last minute BBC debate on the evils of teen magazines (I had to defend them). Before I left, tripping over my wheelie Globetrotter in a rather non-elegant fashion, I managed to catch the gem that was Teddy Boys of The Edwardian Drape Society, a three-minute movie showing a selection of old timer teddy boys (and girls) still dressing up, quiffing up and generally tearing up the dancefloor. These characters are passionate about their scene as can be witnessed in this old interview with Ritchie Gee who runs the Edwardian Drape Society. What a character!